IBM recently announced that its AI development platform watsonx.ai now supports the DeepSeek-R1 distilled versions of the Llama 3.18B and Llama 3.370B models. DeepSeek optimizes multiple Llama and Qwen variants using knowledge distillation technology, leveraging data from the R1 model to further enhance model performance. On the watsonx.ai platform, users can utilize DeepSeek in two ways.

At the recent LEAP2025 conference, IBM and Lenovo announced their plans to further expand their strategic technology partnership aimed at enhancing the application and impact of generative AI in Saudi Arabia. According to IDC, global annual spending on AI-related systems is expected to exceed $300 billion by 2026, and many leading organizations in Saudi Arabia are actively exploring and investing in generative AI applications to prepare for the impending 'AI Everywhere' era.

With the continuous development of artificial intelligence technology, the integration of visual and textual data has become a complex challenge. Traditional models often struggle to accurately parse structured visual documents such as tables, charts, infographics, and diagrams. This limitation impacts automated content extraction and comprehension capabilities, subsequently affecting applications in data analysis, information retrieval, and decision-making. In response to this demand, IBM recently released Granite-Vision-3.1-2B, a compact visual language model specifically designed for document understanding.

Recently, global technology leader IBM and world-renowned beauty company L'Oréal announced an exciting collaboration plan aimed at leveraging IBM's Generative AI technology to deeply analyze cosmetics formulation data, thereby promoting the use of sustainable raw materials. This innovative effort will develop a customized AI foundational model designed to significantly enhance L'Oréal's R&D team's performance and consumer satisfaction across various cosmetics. This partnership combines L'Oréal's extensive expertise in cosmetic science with IBM's advanced technology.

Recently, IBM announced the launch of version 3.1 of its open source language model Granite, which brings many important enhancements. The new version of the model has been redesigned with a denser architecture, capable of handling up to 128,000 tokens at once. This update signifies a substantial improvement in Granite's ability to process complex text and tasks. The Granite 3.1 model has been trained on datasets in 12 languages and 116 programming languages, processing a total of 12 trillion tokens.

IBM has officially launched its next-generation open-source large language model, Granite3.1, aiming to secure a leading position in the enterprise AI sector. This series of models features an extended context length of 128K, embedding models, built-in hallucination detection capabilities, and significant performance improvements. IBM claims that the Granite8B Instruct model outperforms its open-source competitors of similar scale, including Meta's Llama3.1, Qwen2.5, and Google's Gemma2.

Red Hat recently released the latest version 1.3 of its enterprise-grade Linux AI platform, RHEL AI, which adds support for IBM's Granite large language model (LLM) and previews support for the Intel Gaudi 3 accelerator. This update brings more opportunities for Red Hat's service partners and system integrators to help enterprises explore and integrate AI applications more effectively. Joe Fernandez, Vice President and General Manager of Red Hat's AI business unit, stated that

In the digital age, computer chips are getting smaller, but computing problems are becoming larger. With the continuous advancement of AI models, energy consumption and computing demands in data centers are growing exponentially. IBM's recent breakthrough in optical technology promises to transform this situation. Traditional data centers face two major technical bottlenecks: the limitations of copper wire transmission and electronic transmission speeds. Currently, most CPUs are largely idle, simply waiting for data packets to be transmitted. This represents a significant waste of computing resources. Image source note: Image generated by AI, image licensed.

Recently, OpenAI quietly released a statement on its official website, committing not to use its patents in an infringing manner. OpenAI stated that they would adhere to the principles of 'broad access' and 'collaboration', emphasizing that they would 'only use patents for defensive purposes'. However, this commitment has raised concerns among many experts. According to OpenAI's statement, their patents will be used defensively only when others do not threaten them, make claims, initiate lawsuits, or assist others in such activities. Their wording seems to suggest...

As the wave of artificial intelligence sweeps through the global technology industry, a veteran is preparing to take the stage again. IBM recently released a 28-page report titled 'Mainframes as the Backbone of Digital Transformation,' aiming to prove that this 60-year-old computing platform is still essential in the AI era. The report, authored by IBM's Institute for Business Value, not only showcases the current state of mainframes but also outlines their crucial role in AI-driven digital transformation. The report indicates that 79% of IT executives believe that mainframes are vital for achieving AI-driven innovation.

IBM and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently announced the launch of two groundbreaking free AI interaction models designed to predict global energy access and simulate energy equity. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in employing artificial intelligence technology to address global energy challenges. The newly introduced power access prediction model utilizes AI technology to analyze population, urbanization, infrastructure, and satellite data to provide power access predictions for 102 countries up to 2030. Meanwhile, the Clean Energy Equity Index, as a pioneering index, employs AI to gauge...

Intel's Gaudi3 AI accelerator chip has found its first cloud computing customer in IBM Cloud, which plans to offer services to customers early next year to support artificial intelligence computing in hybrid and on-premises environments. IBM Cloud will integrate the Gaudi3 chip into its Watsonx AI and data platform to drive the development of new artificial intelligence capabilities. The integration of Gaudi3 with Xeon CPUs will provide cost-effective, secure, and innovative AI computing solutions. Despite facing competition from Nvidia, Intel...

As the 2024 US Open approaches, IBM and the USTA are launching a series of innovative AI features to provide an unprecedented digital experience for the tournament. Through the watsonx platform, these AI technologies offer more detailed post-match summaries, AI commentary, and a fully upgraded SlamTracker. AI-generated match reports cover every singles match, allowing viewers to receive detailed analyses just minutes after the match ends, including player performance, statistics, and highlights. IBM's AI commentary feature has also been enhanced.